'A Delightful Tale of Money,
Marriage and Love'
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THE DOWRY
By Walter Keady
St. Martin's Press
ISBN-10: 0-312-36191-2 |
Reviewed by Sharon Greer
At any one time any story may possess a schemer or two but Walter Keady's clever novel, The Dowry, has far more than its fair share of dubious machinations. Plots abound in this enchanting, humourous parody on Irish country manners.
In 1946 rural Ireland, Father Donovan plots to usurp a wealthy publican's daughter's coveted dowry - a dowry whose money has come from a very questionable source. But he has fierce competition.
Martin McDermott, the local bad boy, is equally determined to marry the publican's daughter, Aideen, in order to abscond with her dowry, leaving her high and dry.
He even decides to fake his own death when he realizes the absurdity of his marriage proposal. But he makes the fatal mistake of drawing a local dim witted farmer into his confidence.
Afraid of losing his congregation to emigration, Father Donovan works intensely to concoct a plot whereby Aideen's dowry will benefit a number of couples and make possible a whole series of weddings.
One of the benefactors would be Kieran McDermott, Martin's brother, who is dead set on marrying Brideen Conway despite the fact that his father won't pass down the family farm to him.
Matters are further complicated by the conniving Martin whose plans include making his family's lives as miserable as possible.
The Dowry is infused with enough busybodies and dastardly characters to keep the reader entertained and absorbed in this delightful tale of money, marriage and love. The conspiratorial flavour of this engaging prose is both comical and thoroughly readable.
Walter Keady was born and educated in Ireland. He grew up on a farm in County Mayo. He was ordained and served as a Catholic missionary priest in Brazil for several years. After leaving the priesthood he moved to the States and now lives in New York.
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